


shiny, dull eyes

by mahluu



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, because im not that big of a bitch, i HATE this title so i might change it later, oof first fic, this lowkey sucks tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 07:45:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17442791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahluu/pseuds/mahluu
Summary: It all goes to hell on a mission and the team gets separated. Keith is lucky enough to find Lance- but he is not at all in a good condition. Will they both make it?





	shiny, dull eyes

"Just leave me here, Keith" his voice was soft, too soft - and for the first time Keith hated it, hated his voice and what it meant, what it could mean. He shook his head rigidly. The other boy smiled a smile that for the first time made Keith's heart sink instead of making it skip a beat, tears threatened to make their way out.

"You have to" Keith just shook his head again, tightening his grip on the boy's body. Lance's body. Lance. The boy who always had a joke to lighten the mood after a tough mission, who would always be there for comfort and never ask anything in return. The boy from Earth who never signed up for a war and still gave his best in every single battle and mission, who missed his family and his home. Lance, who Keith thought as loud and annoying at first - and he was, but was also so much more than that. Lance. Brave, kind, loud, _selfless_ Lance whose heart was bigger than any galaxy or planet out there. His Lance, whose eyes seemed to fit every star the universe could possibly hold, deep as the ocean - which the boy sorely missed as well. Those eyes, those same blue, and star-filled eyes seemed so dull...so devoid of life now it made Keith's gut twist.

"I'm not leaving you here, Lance," he said, "I'm not doing that -the" he took a shaky breath in "The team will get to us soon, alright? We'll get you to a pod and everything will be okay - _you_ will be okay" he stopped himself before he started rambling - which wouldn't help to calm any of their nerves. Lance frowned,

"But what if they _don't_ , Keith? What if they can't get here on time? _What_ then? Those things will find us soon enough - I can't _walk_ " he motioned to his badly injured leg with his good arm, "It'll be _two_ dead paladins instead of _one_ -"

"Shut up"

"Keith--"

"I said shut up," he said, his voice faltering a little at the end, "I said I'm not leaving you here, and I'm not- do you hear me? I'm _not_ -" Lance grips his arm

" _Keith_ -"

" _No_ -"

"I don't want you to die because of me-" he hissed

"And I don't want you to die, period." Keith shot back, promptly finishing the argument as he got up and started to clean some of the debris from the wall

As he moved pieces of metal and stone as much as he could, he thought of the whole mission and just how sideways it went in just a matter of minutes The team had received a distress call from the Taardar saying they needed Voltron's help immediately. Allura instantly agreed, saying they'd be there in a few doboshes. Once they had gotten through the atmosphere and Allura let the Taardarian leader know of their arrival, he rather coldly asked for the Lions to be left back - requesting the paladins to walk to the town. At the time, Keith had found it incredibly suspicious. Why wouldn't he want the lions near? They were stronger, and would definitely be of more help. When he let the princess know of his concern - having Hunk, Krolia, and Romelle to back him up- she'd dismissed it.

"Perhaps the citizens have become wary of large spaceships after the Galra attacked", she'd said, not leaving room for much more argument as they made their way to the main building on foot having Coran, Romelle and Pidge stay on the lions while they charged up.

Well, long story short: Keith's suspicion had been right. The planet's leader had received a proposal of exchange prior - the paladins of Voltron for the safety of his people. Therefore, the distress signal they received had been a trap and damn, did they fall for it. All attacked at once, the team got separated in a matter of seconds. Sniper drones shot non-stop as Keith ran, looking around for any of his team members.

 

Once he finished clearing out the debris - or at least enough so that he and Lance could lean against the wall - he looked at the injured paladin. Keith wasn't religious at all but it was nothing short of a miracle that he'd come across Lance. The city was almost maze-like and having drones firing at you from the sky doesn't really leave you time to pay attention to where you're going. To his dismay though, he'd found Lance writhing in pain. A burnt leg and a shot to the stomach. Keith only had time to drag Lance inside a random building and take his leg armor off when the other paladin almost howled in pain- and now here they were.

Moving closer to him, Keith cringed looking at Lance's leg. The burn went all the way from his thigh to his calf, including his knee. Painful looking blisters were already forming - some already having popped, giving the burn an even grosser look. But what was really concerning Keith was the deep red stain visible on his stomach, where even though Lance was applying pressure on was losing a lot of blood. With some curses and loud protests of pain, Keith managed to get Lance leaned against the wall.

They spent a moment in silence, the only sound being Lance's ragged breaths and distant explosions, some close enough to keep Keith alert

"How are you?" he asked

"Great"

"Lance-"

He rolled his eyes, "I'm tired, man" Lance sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back "Everything hurts, I just wanna take a nap"

This made a mild panic rise in Keith's gut- was Lance already that drowsy? He furrowed his brows, leaning to see his wound "Did you lose that much blood already?"

"Dunno.. didn't keep count" Lance mumbled tiredly. Keith raised an eyebrow, shaking him a bit.

"Alright, just- hey!- just keep talking to me, okay? You can take a nap when we get back to the lions but right now I want you awake- I _need_ you to stay awake, okay Lance?"

"Geez, okay okay" he mumbled, lazily opening his eyes

"Good, I'll try to contact the team or Pidge--" the sound of static flooded Keith's ears for a second before he could try contacting someone. And he did. Several times. No answer. He tried to reach Pidge then- but had no such luck, either. He swore under his breath.

"Do you think they're dead?" Lance suddenly asked, his eyes empty and staring at nothing. Keith inhaled sharply

"No"

A moment of silence.

"Do you think I'll die?"

"Shut up, Lance"

"Do you?" he was looking at Keith now with half-lidded and dull eyes. Keith hated that look.

"No" he replied after a moment, and they fell in silence again.

Several minutes passed. Maybe not much- but to Keith, it felt like an eternity. Lance was leaning heavily on his side, his breathing more strained while Keith tried to contact the team again. Still nothing. He was getting seriously worried about Lance's situation- especially because of how pale he looked.

"I like your voice" and Keith almost chokes

"W-what?"

"You don't talk that much...but your voice is pretty" Lance smiled, and Keith felt his own cheeks getting warm "I like it when you talk...your mullet isn't that bad either-- Do you dance?"

Keith felt scared over how quickly Lance changed the subject, and how slurred his speech was getting and just how soft his voice was, but he followed along- at least Lance was still talking, right?

"No, I don't"

Lance chuckles, but it turned into a cough "I will take you dancing someday"

"Yeah...I'd like that" Keith smiled, but before he could say anything else a sudden loud sound of static flooded Keith's ears

"Keith? Lance? Do you copy? This is Pidge! Where are you guys?"

The audio was terrible and he could just barely make any word out of it- but it was Pidge, and that meant he and Lance would be able to get out of there and that Lance would be okay

"Pidge! I can hear you- I can't tell where we are exactly- It's...it's sort of like a tower, I guess?"

"Alright, I'll try to trace your armor's signal-- there's something on this planet that messes with our signal. Krolia, Shiro, Allura, and Hunk are all already here, we just couldn't find you guys. Stay where you are, okay?"

He could only make out bits and pieces of what she'd said, but he got the message. The team was coming, and Lance would be okay. He smiled

"Hey, Lance" he nudged him "Lance did you hear that? They're okay, see? They're coming to get us" but with each word said Keith's tongue grew heavier. Lance was quiet, too quiet. He hadn't even moved, for that matter

"Lance?" he shook him harder "Lance- hey! Lance?" Not a word. Not a single movement. Lance's body felt limp against his own.

Suddenly, Keith didn't hear, didn't see and didn't feel anything else. He didn't see Red landing before the other lions, the strong impact making the ground shake. He didn't hear the team calling out his name, didn't hear them asking what had happened. He barely felt Shiro's hand squeezing his shoulder in reassurance when Hunk and Allura lifted Lance up to move him to the healing pod. He didn't remember getting inside the lion. And he didn't remember closing his eyes. He just knew that when he opened them again they had landed on a large rock...thing. An asteroid maybe? A really small planet? He didn't know. And he didn't care much, either.

For two days they stayed there, waiting to see if Lance would be okay. For Keith, those days were completely blank. He could only think of Lance. Lance - brave, kind, loud, selfless Lance. Lance, with his dazzling blue eyes - though now he could only think of dull, unfocused eyes staring at him. Lance, with his beautiful sun-kissed skin - even though it was his pale face that haunted Keith's mind now. Lance, who teased him about his mullet every time he got the chance, who'd have his insecurities and confide them to Keith, who'd just...be _Lance_

Keith sat on the edge of a small cliff, staring at nothing in particular while his mind was a mess of thoughts. Lance had to be fine - he had to live because he was one of the strongest people Keith knew, because Keith didn't know what he would _do_ if he lost him, because Keith needed Lance in his life, and he had only truly realized this now.

He'd had enough of the team's concerned looks and constant questioning, so when he heard faint footsteps coming behind him he sighed, quickly getting up to walk away. But when he turned to see who it was he froze.

"Hey there, mullet" the sound of his voice flooded Keith's senses. He couldn't believe it. Lance was alive - and he was standing right there in front of him.

"Lance?" Keith couldn't help but say his name under his breath like he was making sure this was real. Lance smiled, and it made Keith's heart melt.

"Yeah" That. That was all Keith needed.

And so Keith came closer and closer until he pulled Lance in a tight hug, Lance wrapping his own arms around Keith with just as much strength. They stayed like that, swaying, spilling their fears to each other in one single embrace until Keith pulled back, putting his hand on Lance's cheek and whispering,

"I think I love you"

Lance stared at him for a moment, his smile so wide Keith thought it hurt.

"I think I love you too"

And that was it, the final drop. Without hesitation, Keith leaned in to meet Lance's lips. And with the stars shining brightly above them, like that, they stayed. Feet dangling on the edge of the cliff. Together.

* * *

extra:

"So I had to almost die for you to say you loved me?"

"...shut up"

 

**Author's Note:**

> So.,,,, that just happened  
> I'm honestly not sure if I like it or not? I feel like the middle and the very end could use more work but oh well, at least it's finished! Comments and reviews are heavily appreciated <3 
> 
> note to friends: yall knew this would happen ok im not even sorry


End file.
